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Eye growth during teenage years should be factor in considering multifocal IOLs
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SAN DIEGO — The human eye continues to grow in the second decade of life, indicating a need for caution if considering multifocal IOL implantation in young patients, according to a study presented here.
"The general trend throughout the second decade of life is for growth and myopic shift," M. Edward Wilson, MD, said during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.
A survey of pediatric surgeons showed that two-thirds would implant or consider implanting a multifocal IOL in a child, prompting Dr. Wilson to investigate the likely outcomes of this option.
He and his colleagues looked at 70 eyes that had at least two axial measurements taken at various points during their treatment. The patients' ages ranged from 11 at their first measurement to their early twenties at their last measurements.
"If we plot our 70 eyes across the second decade of life you can see that there is no place, even into the twenties, where growth stops," Dr. Wilson said. "Most have quite an upward trend."
"Even if we hit the mark, and even if the patient is a teenager, myopic shift may occur," Dr. Wilson said. "These data have important implications for your decision to use multifocal IOLs in teenagers."